His most beloved Sweetheart
by Kittenallie
Summary: In honor of Queen Anne Boleyn who was innocently executed on this day in 1536, this is a story where the Queen is saved from a fate that should not have been hers. Short one-shot.


Night of May 10th 1536

Henry awoke in the middle of the night to the sounds of crying. He groggily looked around the room, his eyes finally resting on the figure of a young woman at his window. He couldn't understand who she was, or more importantly how she got into his private chambers. As he slowly approached her, trying not to startle her she turned around.

"Anne." He whispered. How could that be, she was currently in the Tower where she would be executed so he could marry his Jane.

"Henry." She sobbed "Let me go." She rose from her perch and walked towards the door, he tried to reach for her but his hand passed through her arm. He just now realized she was younger, she appeared to be only twenty years old.

Henry didn't sleep much that night, he tossed and turned calling out his wife's name. The next day he called for Charles Brandon to attend him as he went to the Tower. The two old friends walked into the Tower grounds, the scaffold was already beginning to take shape. Charles questioned Henry why build a scaffold before the trial even ended. Henry shrugged off the question, as his mind began to play tricks on him. A woman dressed in a dark simple gown walked towards him straight to the location of the scaffold. He watched as she climbed stairs that were not there.

_**"Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul."**_ Anne spoke so eloquently even in the face of death.

"Henry." Charles exclaimed concerned as he watched Henry walk to past the men building the scaffold turning to look at the empty sky.

"Anne, sweetheart." Henry reached up trying to touch her, to free her. But she vanished as he saw a sword swing towards her neck. "Nooooooooo, Anne." Henry fell to his knees sobbing.

Henry knew now, that he loved Anne and that his desire for a son was not worth killing the woman he loved with all his heart. He had killed Katherine just as much as he was about to order Anne's death. He couldn't save Katherine now, but he could save Anne. He could save everyone he loved.

Anne had just arrived back in her chambers from Cromwell's interrogation once more. She never could understand how he could so easily turn on her, she had never said an unkind word to him. It wasn't until her arrest she learned of the lies he had told the King, how she threatened him. Threatened Mary and Katherine. Anne may have not treated Mary the way a good Christian woman should have done, but her fear overtook her when she looked into Mary's eyes. Mary would be her undoing, and Cromwell had made sure of it. Anne looked and noticed the construction of the scaffold below, it was then she knew her fate was sealed. Tears streaming down her face as she sunk to the floor just as the door flew open.

"Sweetheart." Henry ran to Anne pulling him to her. "I am so sorry my love."

In the days to come the scaffold did get used, but not for the ones originally planned. Cromwell died May 19, 1536 along with Jane Parker for the lies they told about the Queen. It took years, but Mary finally accepted Anne as the Queen but only after Prince Henry was born in 1538. Princess Katherine was born in 1537, named after the first Queen. The Queen who Anne replaced, the one buried with pomp and circumstance fitting a royal when she died in 1536. She was reburied in Westminster Abbey on Anne's urging months after the birth of her namesake. Anne knew she could never make amends completely with Mary, but she knew something had to change. Henry spent the rest of his days completely loyal to his Queen, he never understood what happened those days leading up to her release from the Tower.


End file.
